It’s someone’s worst nightmare that during a medical emergency, the firefighters and paramedics cannot find a house address because the numbers are not there or they can’t be read from the street.
Addison Township Fire Lt. W Rippetoe is hoping to ease that worry by informing people about green reflective address signs and how they can ease firefighters and paramedics difficultly in finding a house at night when a call comes in.
‘Sometimes, people don’t even have their address on their mailboxes,? he said. ‘It’s a lot easier to see the reflective when the headlights hit on them. They glow and we are able to see them…it is just a lot easier and safer giving directions so we know where to go.?
The reflective signs can go on mailboxes, trees or stands. However, Rippetoe prefers them to be on the mailboxes.
He was looking to show people how difficult it was by driving around with a video camera as he went around Addison Township at dusk and at night.
‘We wanted to show people what we see in the middle or the night or at dusk,? he said.
Rippetoe said he has two at this residence.
‘One just has the regular reflective numbers on my mailbox, and then I got the green sign next to it,? he said.
Residents in Addison Township can purchase the green address signs for $15 each at Addison Fire Station #1, located at 4026 Forest St. in Leonard.
‘What homeowners do is they come in, fill out a piece of paper telling us what their address is, we put the numbers on for them and we sell it to them,? Rippetoe said.